Voodoo In The Bayou
by VoodooNecromancer
Summary: IN PROGRESS - A mysterious dream haunts Captain Jack for nights on end. He has no explaination as to why the dream continues to haunt him night over night, but Angelica thinks she knows someone who can help.  full summary in the first chapter
1. The Dream

**Voodoo In The Bayou**

**~VoodooNecromancer**

_**Author's Note: **__I do NOT own Captain Sparrow, Angelica, or any other characters (or ships) that appear in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies. The other characters are of my own creation and I hold all rights to them. Please do not steal anything out of this story. I worked very hard on it. This is the first fic I have written in 7 years. I don't steal anything from you, so you shouldn't do it to me. I got the idea for this after seeing "Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides". I hope you enjoy! – Requiem (aka VoodooNecromancer)_

_**Summary: **__A mysterious dream haunts Captain Jack for nights on end. He has no explanation as to why the dream continues to haunt him night over night, but Angelica thinks she knows someone who can help. But when Jack and Angelica land in the New World, Jack begins to feel like he's been there before. Will Angelica's plan work? Will Jack finally get the answers he's searching for?_

**Chapter 1: The Dream**

"_Cassandra? Cassandra, where are you," a male voice calls out._

"_I'm over here! Follow my voice!" The feminine voice sounds farther away than it had last time he had called out. Stumbling through the dark woods, the man moves in the direction he thinks the voice came from. _

"_We're almost there," the voice, a little farther ahead and to the man's left this time, says. _

"_Are you sure? I can't see a thing," the man shouts back as he alters his course left in pursuit of the female voice._

"_Trust me!" The man has been following this girl for what feels like hours through woods and swamps, never getting a good look at her. He always just barely sees her back of the hem of her long coat disappearing around a corner. Now in almost total darkness, the man hurries along through the woods and trips. He falls for what feels like an eternity until he finally lands face first into the cold alligator-infested water..._

With a jolt, the man's eyes flew open and he abruptly sat up. He was in his bed, sweat dripping down his muscled bare chest and back onto his black pants, sun streaming in through enormous bay windows. Next to him, a beautiful woman yawned and stretched, slowly sitting up as well.

"Did you have that dream again, Jack?" the woman asked, her voice thick with a Spanish accent.

"Yeah," Jack replied. "Sorry...didn't mean to wake you, Angelica." With a sigh, Captain Jack Sparrow swung his legs to the floor, rose to his feet and stretched. He trudged over to a basin of water on the opposite side of the room and splashed a couple handfuls of water onto his face to assist in the wake-up process. His girlfriend Angelica, daughter of the late Captain Edward Teague (better known as Blackbeard), slid from the comfort of Jack's bed and padded barefoot over to Jack. She wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and rested her head against his back.

"I wish I knew who that girl Cassandra is in my dream," Jack muttered. "Maybe then I could figure out why she keeps appearing in my head."

"I know, Jack. I'm sorry this dream won't leave you alone," Angelica replied, kissing Jack's tan back.

"It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't the same dream _every single night_." Jack turned around in Angelica's arms and kissed her forehead, then stepped over to his chest of drawers. He pulled on a white peasant top, a chocolate-brown vest and his knee-high boots, then put his sword and pistol at his waist and strolled out of the room and onto the main deck of his beloved _Black Pearl_. The ship was on a course headed for Hispaniola to re-supply after a long trip back from the Cape of Good Hope. Jack climbed the stairs to the quarterdeck where he found his first mate, Joshamee Gibbs, reading a book.

"I didn't know you could read, Mr. Gibbs," Jack said, casting a shadow over the man sitting on the deck at his feet.

"Captain!" Gibbs exclaimed, dropping his book to the deck and scrambling to his feet. Jack chuckled to himself, picking the fallen book off of the deck and examining it's cover. It was an old and very worn copy of plays by William Shakespeare.

"Shakespeare, Mr. Gibbs?" Jack inquired, handing the book back to its owner.

"Well...y'see...I..." Gibbs stumbled over his words, stuffing the book into his vest pocket.

"Mr. Gibbs, I don't mind having a first mate who knows how to read," Jack said, resting a friendly hand on his old friend's shoulder. "It's nice to know I'm not the only pirate on this ship who knows how." Still embarrassed, Gibbs shuffled down the stairs to the main deck, then disappeared into the crew's quarters below. Still smiling to himself, Jack took up his telescope and looked out to sea. A few storm clouds were visible on the horizon, but nothing that looked too severe. With no threats in sight, Jack lowered his telescope and turned to go back down to his cabin when Angelica appeared on the deck below him.

"Jack. I just thought of someone who may be able to help tell you what your dream is trying to tell you," Angelica said, climbing the stairs to the quarterdeck.

"Who?"

"A woman by the name of Madame Renée Bertrand. She's a dream interpreter who was cast out of France on suspicion of practicing witchcraft and she fled to the New World. She now lives in a city on the water called Nouvelle-Orléans."

"Why was she suspected of witchcraft?" Jack asked, taking Angelica's hands in his own.

"It's said that she had a dream where she saw King Louis and his queen Marie Antoinette being killed by the people of France. Upon hearing of this dream, King Louis had Renée arrested and asked her why she was telling his people that he and his wife would be killed. Renée told him she had seem it in a dream and the King - believing the only way it was possible that she would have such visions was that she practiced black magic - had her exiled from France, so she fled to the New World. If she ever returns, she will be arrested and executed immediately." Jack mulled over the information, then he released Angelica's hands and paced back and forth on the quarterdeck.

"So...you're saying we need to go to the New World to find this woman."

"Only if you want to see if she can help."

"Well, what do I have to lose. If there's a chance I'll get answers, I'm in." With that, Angelica turned to the helmsman, who had been standing quietly the entire time.

"Change course. Two points northwest. We're going to the New World."


	2. The Storm

**Chapter 2 – The Storm (cuz every pirate story needs a storm scene!)**

_**Author's Note: **__I'm just going to say this now...there is nothing more pleasant than posting the first chapter of a brand new story and then having 3 great reviews waiting for me in my email the next morning! Thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 1! And now, on with the story! ~ Requiem_

The small storm clouds Jack had seen on the horizon earlier that day turned out to be a roiling tropical depression not quite strong enough to be considered a hurricane. The _Pearl_ sailed right into the heart of the storm, cresting 40 foot waves then sliding down into the troughs, only to be thrown back on to a wave again. The crew of the _Pearl _struggled to keep the ship on course and everything secured to the deck. Jack stood next to the helmsman, holding the left side of the massive helm, helping to hold the _Pearl _on course toward the New World. Out of nowhere, a massive wave reared up out of the ocean and crashed over the starboard railing, sending crew members tumbling ass over tea kettle across the deck. That's when Jack noticed that Angelica, who had been working on deck with Gibbs moments before, was nowhere to be seen.

"MR. GIBBS!" Jack screamed over the shrieking wind. Gibbs stumbled up the stairs of the pitching ship to the quarterdeck.

"Aye, Cap'n!" Gibbs yelled back.

"Where is Angelica?"

"I dunno, Cap'n! She was with me a minute ago!"

"Well find her!" Gibbs scuttled away in an attempt to carry out Jack's orders and nearly got swept overboard in the process. He climbed hand over hand up into the rigging and asked the lookout in the crow's nest if he had seen anyone swept overboard. The lookout said no and Gibbs returned to the main deck, frantically searching for his captain's girlfriend. He finally found her wedged between two cannons on the port side railing of the deck. She was unconscious, with a small trickle of blood running down her face from her forehead. Gibbs picked her up and carried her towards Jack. The ship listed left, causing the deck to rise at a sharp angle, sending Gibbs crashing to the deck, Angelica's body falling from his arms. By now, Jack had left the helmsman to battle the wind and appeared at Gibbs' side, helping his friend to his feet before scooping Angelica off the deck and into his arms. Without a word, Jack stumbled for the door that led below deck to the cabins and reached it just before another wave crashed over the deck. Jack looked over his shoulder and saw Gibbs clinging to the railing leading up to the quarterdeck, still aboard the ship. With the knowledge that his closest friend was still on board, Jack forced his way through the door and down to his cabin. The ship continued to pitch and roll as Jack laid Angelica's unconscious body on his bed.

"I'm so sorry, love," Jack whispered, cleaning the blood from Angelica's face and forehead. "I'm sorry I didn't protect you. Just please don't leave me now." Jack leaned over and kissed Angelica's lips, then stretched out on the bed beside her, refusing to leave until she woke up.

The storm raged all night and into the next morning. Jack stayed ever vigilant by Angelica's side, taking very little food and drink. The storm finally broke around mid-day and the sea calmed. Jack had barely slept all night and was lightly dozing when Angelica began stirring. Jack bolted awake, jumped out of bed and raced to Angelica's side.

"Angel, can you hear me?" Angelica's eyes fluttered open and landed on Jack's face.

"Yes, I can hear you, Jack."

Jack released a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. He took one of Angelica's hands in both of his and raised it to his lips.

"I thought I was going to lose you."

"What happened to me, Jack?"

"You were swept into a couple of cannons on deck by a rogue wave and knocked unconscious. Does your head hurt?"

"A little, but not too terribly." Angelica slowly shifted in bed until her tan feet dangled over the bare wooden floor, and she sat up.

"Take it easy, love. You've been unconscious for hours," Jack warned. Angelica shrugged off the words and placed her feet on the floor and pushed off of the bed. She slowly stood and took and step, but was instantly overcome with dizziness and almost collapsed to the floor, but refused Jack's help. She was determined to move about the cabin by herself and after a few shaky steps, she was walking with hardly any troubles at all. After she had walked the entire length of the cabin, Angelica turned and faced Jack.

"See? I'm just fine, Jack."

Jack sighed, knowing full well that he couldn't keep Angelica in bed now that she was awake.

"Angelica, I'm not going to try and keep you in bed, but _please_ promise me you'll take it easy for a few days to make sure you're okay." Angelica walked over to Jack and wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder while Jack's arms wrapped around her waist.

"I promise, Jack. I'll be good." Jack closed his eyes as he inhaled the scent of Angelica's long black hair.

"Thank you," he whispered into her hair.


	3. Nouvelle Orléans

**Chapter 3 - Nouvelle-Orléans**

_**Author's Note: **__Just a quick translation so there's no confusion. Nouvelle-Orléans is French for New Orleans (just in case you hadn't already figured that out). ~Requiem_

A week later, the _Black Pearl_ was fast approaching land. Angelica was back to her old self with no signs of long-term damage, save for a white scar at her hairline on the right side of her forehead, a slight loss of balance, and the occasional dizzy spell. With the New World in his sights and his love at his side, Jack guided the _Pearl _ever closer to what he hoped would be the answers he was looking for. The dream had continued to haunt him the whole journey and now he wanted to get clarity more than ever.

"Now, when we get there, do you know where to find this Madame Bertrand?" Jack asked Angelica as the harbors of Nouvelle-Orléans grew ever closer.

"It's said she lives deep in the swamps in a one room shack on stilts so as to keep the flood waters from reaching the house," Angelica replied. "So I figure we'll just ask around to see if anyone will be willing to point us in the right direction." Jack nodded. Within the hour, the _Pearl_ slipped into the busy harbor and dropped anchor a few yards off of the bustling docks. A rowboat was lowered over the starboard side and, after giving orders not to stray far from the docks should anyone else decide to venture ashore, Jack, Angelica and Gibbs climbed down the side of the _Pearl _and rowed for the docks. Jack paid the man at the dock a Franc to keep the little boat tied up, then deftly snatched up the drawstring purse of coins sitting unattended on a desk just off of the docks and pocketed it. The three pirates strolled casually through the bustling streets to a small tavern called Le Dauphin Bleu (The Blue Dolphin). They made their way straight to the far end of the bar and took the only available seats, then Angelica flagged down the bartender and ordered drinks.

"And if it wouldn't be too much trouble," Angelica said in French, lowering her voice so that the bartender had to lean closer to hear her. "Tell me where I could find Madame Renée Bertrand." The bartender nodded, fetched the three mugs of ale Angelica had asked for, then he leaned in close again.

"Madame Bertrand? She is very skilled in the dark arts," the bartender began in English laced with a heavy French accent. "It is said she is a necromancer..."

"Necromancer?" Jack interrupted. "You mean she raises the dead?"

"That's _exactly_ what I mean," the bartender answered darkly. "From what I've been told, she lives in the bayou outside of town, deep in the swamp. If you plan on going there, beware of alligators. They can grow to 6 meters (20 feet) long and can devour a man whole." Jack looked at Angelica as if to say 'Maybe this isn't such a good idea', but stayed quiet when he saw the determined look on Angelica's face.

"So how do we get there?" Angelica pressed.

"Just to the right of this bar, there is a four-way intersection. Go to the left and follow that road out of town. Once the city has disappeared from your sight, you will see a small path on your right that leads into the woods. Follow it as far as you can. It will dead-end into a swamp where you will see a run-down house on stilts. This is Madame Bertrand's house. The only way to reach it is by use of a rowboat that you will find hidden in the reeds." Angelica nodded, mentally noting the bartender's every word. Jack thanked the man, paid for the drinks, then led Gibbs and Angelica to the bar's entrance.

"I must warn you," the bartender called out, causing Jack, Angelica and Gibbs to stop dead in their tracks and turn to face the bar once again.

"Madame Bertrand is a very skilled Voodoo priestess. So don't cross her."

"Thanks for the warning," Jack said and led his friends out of the bar.

Outside, the sun shone bright overhead and the streets were still crowded with vendors, shoppers, and gypsies. The pirates turned right immediately after exiting Le Dauphin Bleu and followed the street a few yards until they came to a four-way intersection. With Jack in the lead, the pirates turned left and walked out of town. They walked for around three miles, over hills and across streams until Nouvelle-Orléans was completely out of sight.

"Well, I can't see the city anymore. So that next path should be around here somewhere," Gibbs noted.

"And there it is," Angelica replied, pointing to a small dirt path that disappeared into the woods to their right. Jack, Angelica and Gibbs all stood at the entrance to the woods and stared into the darkness that lay beyond.

"Well, you ready to do this, Jack?" Angelica asked, turning to face Jack.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Jack replied. He took a deep breath, let it out, and started off down the path. The pirates followed the path into the woods a few feet and within moments, they were surrounded by darkness. The trees were so thick, they almost completely blocked out the sun's rays. After following the path for around five minutes, Jack suddenly stopped dead in the middle of the path, causing Angelica to walk into his back and Gibbs to walk into Angelica. They all stood in silence while Jack looked around.

"Jack? Why did we stop?" Angelica whispered into Jack's ear. Jack didn't reply. He continued to look around the woods.

"Jack? Are you okay?" Angelica asked again.

"I've been here before," Jack said with a far-off look in his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Gibbs whispered loud enough that Jack could hear him.

"I've been here before," Jack repeated. "This is where I always am in my dream. This is where Cassandra is always disappearing around the trees and always staying just out of my sight." Jack started forward again, Gibbs and Angelica hot on his heels.

"There is a tree with a branch that hangs low over the trail around this bend," Jack remembered. Sure enough, as they rounded the bend, a tree branch hung low enough that the three pirates had to duck to get under it.

"And there is going to be a tree root sticking out of the path in a few yards to the left," Jack pointed out again. After a few more steps, Jack stopped again and pointed at the ground at the tree root.

"There. That's the root I always trip over in my dream and I fall into the water. Then I wake up." Angelica and Gibbs looked over Jack's shoulders at the offending root.

"So if this is where you are when you wake up, you have no idea what's passed this point," Angelica noted.

"Exactly. I'm starting to think Cassandra has been trying to lead me to Madame Bertrand. And if that's the case, the question still remains. Why." Jack answered. The pirates stood still for a moment, then pressed on deeper into the woods. It was almost completely dark, except for a few patches here and there where sunlight streamed through the trees. The dirt path wound deeper and deeper into the woods, crossing alligator-infested swamps and finally ending at a small lake. On the other side of the lake stood a run-down shack on stilts, lit all around by oil lamps.

"Well, I guess we found it," Jack said, standing at the water's edge.

"And I found the boat," Gibbs added from Jack's left. He pulled the boat out of the reeds using a rope attached to the bow and moved it to where Jack and Angelica were standing. Jack climbed in first, followed by Angelica, then finally Gibbs, who took up the oars and began rowing the little vessel towards the house.


	4. Madame Renee Bertrand

**Chapter 4 – Madame Renée Bertrand**

On the far side of the lake, Jack and Angelica climbed out of the rowboat and waited on the shore while Gibbs settled the rowboat in a patch of cat tails and tied the rope to a tree trunk. Before the pirates stood the home of Madame Renée Bertrand, or so they had been told. There was a ladder leading from the ground up to the porch of the little house, and Jack, always one to jump in first, grabbed hold of the ladder and climbed hand over hand up to the porch, Angelica at his heels and Gibbs bringing up the rear. Once at the top, Jack found himself facing a wooden door surrounded by Spanish moss. With a deep breath, Jack knocked twice on the door and it opened by itself. Jack looked to Angelica and Gibbs, shrugged, and walked into the shack.

Inside, the pirates were greeted with the strong smell of incense mixed with the equally strong smell of tea. Tapestries hung on the walls along with maps of far-off lands and charts of the stars. There was a small coffee table in the middle of the room surrounded by high-backed chairs and a worn out chaise lounge. And there, sitting in one of the high-backed chairs next to a small fireplace, was a small woman dressed in an off-white peasant top, grey shawl, and burgundy skirt that almost covered her pale bare feet. Her honey colored hair hung down to her waist and her gold-green eyes peered out from behind her long bangs. She stared at the pirates who were standing in the midst of her living room for a moment, then, in a raspy voice, began to speak.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Her voice was laced with a strong French accent, but her English was flawless.

"Aren't _you_ supposed to tell _me_ that?" Jack countered.

"I'm a dream interpreter and necromancer, _not _a psychic," Madame Bertrand snapped. "Now, state your business or leave."

"We're sorry to bother you, Madame," Angelica said. "But we think you may be able to help with a dream." Madame Bertrand's eyes flicked to Angelica and she smiled.

"Well, I'll do my best. Now, tell me about this dream. And please take a seat." Jack, Angelica and Gibbs settled in on the chairs opposite the dream interpreter and Jack told her the dream, leaving no detail out. Madame Bertrand listened quietly, eyes closed in concentration, then remained silent for a few moments after.

"This girl, Cassandra. Do you know her?" Madame Bertrand asked, eyes still closed.

"No. Never heard that name before until my dream," Jack replied, studying Renée.

"But you know her father."

"I do?"

"Yes. You've known him for quite some time. He was your first mate for a time, then he marooned you and took your ship, if I'm not mistaken." Jack looked at Angelica and Gibbs, wide-eyed.

"You can't _possibly_ mean..."

"Yes." Madame Bertrand opened her eyes and they landed on Jack.

"Her father is Hector Barbossa."


	5. The Dream Explained

_**A/N: **__Holy crap. It's been WAAAAAAAY too long since I last updated this thing. And for that I am sorry. Writer's block is a terrible curse. But hopefully I'll start updating it more again!_

* * *

><p><strong><em><em>****Chapter 5: The Dream Explained**

"Barbossa?!" Jack, Angelica, and Gibbs exclaimed as one. Madame Bertrand nodded.

"He's never mentioned a kid, let alone a daughter." Jack said.

"That's probably because his wife died in child birth and he was so heartbroken that he abandoned the child."

"How do you know all of this?" Angelica asked.

"I raised her from the time she was 10 until she was murdered." The three pirates sat in stunned silence, eyes practically popping out of their skulls.

"My guess, Jack, is that Cassandra has been coming to you in your dreams because she wants you to solve her murder. No one knows what happened, except for her, and of course she isn't exactly telling anyone."

"Me? Why me?" Jack sputtered, eyes still about the size of softballs.

"I have no idea, Jack. Maybe because you know her father. Maybe because she thinks you can help her. We won't know unless I raise her." Jack looked from Angelica to Gibbs and back to Madame Bertrand.

"Why haven't you raised her yet?" Gibbs inquired.

"If the soul doesn't want to be raised, the body can't be raised. And apparently, Cassandra didn't want to be raised until Jack got here." Silence fell over the room. Jack and his friends sat in shock, still reeling from the information, while Madame Bertrand got up and poured herself some tea. It was at that moment that Jack saw just how small she really was. She was no more than 5 feet tall, but she carried herself proudly, despite the fact she was engaging in such a simple task.

"So...what exactly happened to Cassandra?" Jack inquired when he found his voice again.

"Unfortunately, I don't really know. All I can tell is one night about 2 months ago, Cassandra went into town to pick up some things for me and she never came back." Madame Bertrand replied. "Her body was found in a pond and she had been killed. Stabbed repeatedly. But I can't begin to tell you why. She didn't have an enemy in the world. I don't know who would have done it or why."

"And that's why she appeared in Jack's dreams," Angelica said. "She thinks he can help solve it."

"That's my guess," Madame Bertrand said with a nod.

"How soon can we...raise her?" Jack asked, not really sure he wanted to know the answer. Raising people from the dead had never been on his to-do list.

"Tonight, if you're up for it." Jack nodded. He was still reeling over the connection to his old first mate. Of all the people this mysterious girl could be related to, it was Barbossa. And what had happened to make her come to him in his sleep? He wasn't too fond of the idea of facing the young woman as a zombie, but he needed answers and for some reason, he found himself wanting to help her.

"What do you need from us?" Angelica asked.

"Nothing. Just that you meet me at the entrance to the path that you followed to find me at midnight. And then we will go to the cemetery." With a nod of understanding from Jack, the three pirates stood and took their leave.


End file.
